Los Angeles Master Chorale
}}The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a professional chorus in Los Angeles, California, and one the resident companies of both the Los Angeles Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall. It was founded in 1964 by Roger Wagner to be one of the three original resident companies of the Music Center of Los Angeles County. Grant Gershon has been its music director since 2001, replacing Paul Salamunovich. The Master Chorale performs about ten times per year in its own season. It has presented more than 450 concerts, including early choral music to contemporary compositions. Noted for presenting numerous world, U.S. and West Coast premieres, the chorus has commissioned 24 and premiered 40 new works. The Master Chorale regularly performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, both at the Music Center and at the Hollywood Bowl, with such leading conductors as Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Zubin Mehta, André Previn, Pierre Boulez, Michael Tilson Thomas and Roger Norrington, among many others. Notable guest conductors have included Robert Shaw, Helmuth Rilling, Margaret Hillis, Robert Page and Richard Westenburg. It served as the chorus for Los Angeles Opera during that organization's early years before it had established its own in-house chorus. It also performs in community concerts throughout Southern California. The Chorale originally performed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, but since 2003 the group's principal concert venue has been Walt Disney Concert Hall. Morten Lauridsen was its composer-in-residence from 1994 through 2001. Music directors * Grant Gershon, 2001–present * Paul Salamunovich, 1991–2001 * John Currie, 1986–1991 * Roger Wagner, 1964–1986 Artists and Composers in Residence * Eric Whitacre, 2016~ * Shawn Kirchner * Morten Lauridsen Recordings With music directors conducting The Master Chorale has recorded five CDs under Grant Gershon: *''Miserere'' by Henryk Górecki (Decca) *''A Good Understanding'' by Nico Muhly (Decca) *''Daniel Variations'' by Steve Reich (Nonesuch Records) *''You Are (Variations)'' by Steve Reich (Nonesuch Records) * Philip Glass’ Itaipu and the world premiere recording of Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jäderlund by Esa-Pekka Salonen (RCM) The Master Chorale released three CDs under the baton of Paul Salamunovich: * The Grammy-nominated Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen (also featuring other Lauridsen works: Les Chansons des Roses, Ave Maria, Mid-Winter Songs, and O Magnum Mysterium) (RCM) * Dominic Argento's Te Deum and Missa "Cum Jubilo" by Maurice Duruflé (with Rodney Gilfry as baritone soloist and Frederick Swann on organ (RCM) * Christmas, a collection of songs (RCM) With the Los Angeles Philharmonic *Roger Wagner, music director ** Mahler: Symphony No. 3, Zubin Mehta conducting (London) ** Holst: The Planets, Zubin Mehta conducting (London) ** Verdi: Quattro pezzi sacri (Four Sacred Pieces), Zubin Mehta conducting (London) ** Verdi: Falstaff, Carlo Maria Giulini conducting (Deutsche Grammophon) ** Verdi: Messa da Requiem, Zubin Mehta conducting, Gwyneth Jones, soprano; Grace Bumbry, mezzo-soprano; Franco Corelli, tenor; Ezio Flagello, baritone (Myto Records) *John Currie, music director ** Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky, André Previn conducting (Telarc) *Paul Salamunovich, music director ** Debussy: Trois nocturnes and La Damoiselle élue, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting (Sony Classics) ** Mahler: Symphony No. 3, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting (Sony Classics) *Grant Gershon, music director **Shostakovich (orchestration by Gerard McBurney): Prologue to Orango, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting (Deutsche Grammophon) **Verdi: Messa da Requiem, Gustavo Dudamel conducting; Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, bass; Vittorio Grigolo, tenor; Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano; Julianna Di Giacomo, soprano (C Major DVD & Blu-Ray). With the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra *Paul Salamunovich, music director ** Rodgers & Hammerstein, The King & I, John Mauceri conducting (Phillips Classics) ** Schoenberg/Ravel, Earth Day, John Mauceri conducting (Phillips Classics) ** Hollywood Nightmares (various composers), John Mauceri conducting (Phillips Classics) Motion pictures Salamunovich also conducted the Los Angeles Master Chorale on the soundtracks of numerous major motion pictures, including A.I. Artificial Intelligence, My Best Friend's Wedding, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Sum of All Fears and Waterworld. Gershon conducted the Chorale on the soundtracks for the motion pictures Lady in the Water and License to Wed. Awards and recognition In June 2003, the Master Chorale received the prestigious ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming. In 2008, one of the Chorale’s highly successful outreach program, “Voices Within,” earned the coveted Chorus America Education Outreach Award. The Master Chorale with Paul Salamunovich conducting, received a Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance for the recording Lux Aeterna in 1998. Education programs Since 1990, the Master Chorale has held the Los Angeles Master Chorale High School Choir Festival, one of the largest high school choir festivals in the nation. "Voices Within," another of the Chorale's highly successful outreach programs, is an in-depth, ten-week, in-school residency program for middle and high school students that helps children who have little or no musical background to “find their voices.” With the assistance of a teaching artist, lyricist, and composer who work with teams of students in the classroom, children write music and lyrics to create original songs. The Master Chorale provides education outreach to approximately 13,000 children each year. External links *Official website *Information on Los Angeles Philharmonic website * Information on Los Angeles Music Center Website http://www.musiccenter.org/ Category:Choirs in California Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles Category:1964 establishments in California Category:Musical groups established in 1964